Portable gold-saving machine



2 SHEETS-SHEET l- H. 3. BACK. PORTABLE sou) SAVING MAHINE.

FILED FEB. 23, I92]- Dec. 19, 1922.

INVENTOR- HENR 8.5m

ATTORNEY Dec. 19,1922. 1,439,055.

. H. 8. BACK. 7

PORTABLE sou) SAVING MACHINE. I

FILED FEB 23, 1922. 2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

INVENTOR Patented Dec. 19, 1922.

HENnY's. BACK, or RE'ISIL, wnsrirneron.

PORTABLE GOLD-SAVING IVIAGl-IINE.

Application filed'February 23, 1922. Serial No. 538,510.

To all 'LU/LOHL it may concern:

Be it known that I, HENRY 5. BACK, a itizen of the United States, lfiSlCliilQ' at =il, in the county of Kitsap and State of Washington, have invented a new and use- 'l'ul Portable Gold Saving Machine,.ot which the following is a specification.

lily invention has reference to improvements in gold saving machines of the rocker variety; and has for its objects, the provision of a rocker having a chamber wherein angular riilles of copper are arranged. in a special way on the tour copper walls of the chamber, and block rifiies ot the same material disposed therebetween, which, by reason of their construction andfthe, use of amaL gum on their exposedsurfaces, will save not only the coarser gold from a-uriierous earth, sand or other material, but the fine 01-hour gold which, heretofore, in the ordinary type of rocker has been lost through the sailings. Further to provide, a machine that is easily transportable, and requiring no special skill to use it,

In the accompanying drawings- Figure l is a plan-view of the machine, the top portion of said chamber and some of its supports being" partly broken away to show the arrangement of the angular rifllbs and the block ritlies seated thereon.

hi 2, a longitudinal section, drawn on th line 22, of Fig. l, the riddle being slightly raised. above the rocker box.

Fig. 3, a. view of the machine in perspective.

Fi 4;, a plan View of the top and bottom of the chamber, particiilarly showing the angular riilles, the locationof the block riffles being indicated by'dotted lines. I

Fig. 5, a cross-section drawn on the line 5 5, of Fig. 1, being a View of that portion of the machine between the riddle and the chamber, looking toward the receiving end of the chamber, and indicating the means for securing and holding the four walls of the chamber in place,including one of the rockers and the handles.

Fig. 6, a plan View of one of the block rifll'es, consisting of four separable parts assembled as a unit, the front formed, as indicated by dotted lines, to simulate a right and left plow mold board, and the back concave having preferably a one inch mesh.

in form; also showing gold saving recess extending around its upper edge.

Fig. 7, an elevation of: the same, tinther illustrating the front of the block as assembled, and also showing a gold saving recess extending around the upper edge of each of its four parts.

Fig. 8, a perspective of one or the sides of the chamber.

Fig. 9, a side elevation of the device complete, as mounted on. supports to afford bearings ttor the rockers, and to give the proper inclination to the rocker box.

Reterring'more particularly to the draw. ings, 1 denotes the rocker box, and 2 a. riddle it is hinged to the box, indicated at 2?, to eiiable the riddle to'be lifted and to discharge therefrom large rocks, leaves, moss and such. extraneous matter not adapted to go through the machine. It is supported'in a horizontal position in the box further by the blo'ch '-.i:. T he rockers 5 are located adjacent each end of the box, as shown, the discharge opening for the sailings atone end of the box is denoted by 6, and the handles by 7. These handles are bolted to the box and held by the winged nuts 8, so that they can e readily demounted, if desired.

The essential Feature of the invention consists of a gold saving: cl amber l0 detachably mounted in the box, its receiving end adja cent the riddle. It comprises four plates of copper, the bottom plate seated in the bed oi the box, the two side plates seated on the bot tom plate and also supported by the sides of the box, and the top plate seated on the side plates and further supported by a series of block riflles placed between the top and bottom plates. Means are also provided for detachably securing said chamber in the box,

as hereinafter described.

'The bottom plate 11 isprovided with a plurality of riflies, which I term angular riflles. They are of copper, preferably square in cross section, and, in the present embodiment oi the invention, are arranged as shown in Fig. 4. The first series, designated as 12, begin flush with the front of the plate and extend at an angle of between 30 and 35. degrees in equally spaced relation to. within. a short distance of the left side edge of the plate, the adjacent terminals of the rifiles being spaced from said side edge a distance about equal to the space between each rifiie. This construction permits gold or material in the rocker to work its way down around said terminals and. disexcept two, being spaced from the right side edge, as the first series are spaced from the left side edge, and a portion of them extending flush with the baclr edge. Saidtwo riiiles extend to the side edge, to afford, in connection with one riiiie of the first series, supports for the side plate to be mounted thereon. The third series, designated as 14:, in the same angular spaced relation as the second series, extend. from the left side edge to the back edge ofthe plate. 1 3 denotes a riftle placed particularly as one of the supports for the side plate to be carried on said side. The topplate of the chamber is of identically the same construction as the bottom plate, just described.

The left side plate of the chamber, look ing from its receiving end, is shown. in Fig);

8, its designating numeral 16 being; located at its front end. lt is provided with a plurality of angular ri'iiies 1'? extendingupwardly, and at angles less acute than those on the top. and bottom plates. The right side plate also carries riflles in the same rel.- ative positions within the chamber. Placer gold, when agitated by water, has a tendency to work its way upward, especially the line or flour gold, which this machine is designed to save. Having in view this characteristic, said rillies are so directed as to afford resting places for the gold that may work its way up the sides.

W hat I tern] block riltle is shown in. dotail in Figs. 6 and 7, and designated as 20. lit consists of four parts, each having on its upper periphery a cut away portion 21, Fig. 6, around its edge, of a depth, preferably, not exceeding the thickness of any ordi .nary piece of paper, which, in connection with the part placed immediately above, forms a recess or crevice, as indicated. in ll 7, especially adapted to catch and retainthc fine gold. The cut away portion on the top block, will form a. crevice in connection with the top of the chambeigwvhen a block rifiie is mounted therein, as described shortly. Said parts are so formed that when 1 assembled together as unit, as indicated in Figs. (Sand 7 the face of the block 22 simulates the contour of a double mold board plow, and the back of the block 23 is concave in form. Under this construe tion, when water and material is force-ii against the face of the block, the same is and can be readily handled. In the present embodiment of the invention, three of the block riflles, assembled shown in Fig. 7, are placed in a row on the bottom plate, spaced slightly away from the receiving end of the chamber, and an equal distance apart from each other and the sides of the plate, their faces directed toward said end. Two more of the block ri'ifles are then placed back of the first row, in staggered. relation therewith, and spaced therefrom approximately the same distance as the first row is spaced from the front edge ofthe plate. To effect this staggered relation, but two complete block riffles can be placed in the second row, and in order to take care of the open spaces left on either side and to properly divert tie water and material toward the center of the chamber, a half block ri'lile 2 L. dig. 1, is placed on either side of the plate and adjacent the or go. The second row thus comprises two units of block riflies,

and two half block riiiles, made by cutting one unit in half vertically, the latter being so placed that the respective right and left plow portions face the receiving end of the chamber and curve inwardly. The dotted line at 24:, Fig. 1. indicates the form of a half block thus made and assembled, the corresponding block at the other end of the row being reversely curved. maining rows of block ritl'les are placed identically the same asthe first two rows, comprising in all ,10 block riflles complete and four half block riiiles.

The two side plates are then placed on either side of the bottom plate so as to enclose the block rifiles andreceive support from the sides of the rocker box and certain ends of the angular riflies. To give stability to the top plate and to afford a cover for the chamber, a board 30, conforming to the outlines of said plate, is secured thereto. The same is then mounted on the top of the block rifiles and the sides, thus making a The two rein place, a pair of cleats 31 are provided and placed adjacei'it'each end of the top. Blocks 32, of a height sufiicient to form a plane surface with the side edges oi the rocker box, are placed at each end of said cleats, and the whole clamped together and held in place through the cross pieces 33' extending tranrversely over the top and under the bedoi the rocker box, secured by the bolts 3%, and the winged nuts In order that the tailings may not discharge too freely and to insure a proper treatment of the material, an adjustable tailboard is provided; and located adjacent the discharge end of the chamber. It comprises a cleat 40, extending across said end, and oi"; a height obvlously less than the height of the chamber. It is held in place by a vertr cally extending cleat 41 oneach side oi the rocker boa, and a wedge i2, Fig. e pia-ced between the end of the cleat 40 and a side of the box. This permits the tailboa'rd to be readily raised, lowered or removed, as desired. 1

InFig; 9, the machineis shown as mounted on the supports F0 and 51., ready for use. For best results, it should be placed as to work on an incline of one foot in six,

thus giving a proper head to the water and material, and an eiiectlve discharge for the I-n utilizing the invention, assembled as described, auriierous' material is shoveled into the riddle, and with the proper application oi water, the mesh will eliminate matter not adapted for treatment by the machine, such as large stones moss, leaves, etc. The material to be worked then enters the chamber, which, it will be remembered, is amalgamated throughout. Such material, when mingled with water, carries the gold through its body at dilierent levels, according to its character. For instance, the heavier gold will naturally seek the bottom or lower level, and possibly will be caught by the first amalgam it comes in contact with. Floating in the center is the lighter gold, and floating on top is the very fine, or flour gold, which this machine is particularly adapted to save, and which ordinarily, in gold saving machines, has passed out through the tailings. Vast quantities of the black, gold bearing sands exist on the ocean beaches, but it has not been profitable to work this material on account oi: the seemin impossibility of saving such gold.

located as it is on the beaches, and necessarily coming in contact with animal substances, it is what placer miners term greasy gold, which, by reason oi its oily nature, has no affinity for amalgam, One. purpose of this machine is, to treat such gold by agitation in water so as to relieve it of some of its oily enveloping substances and clean it sufficiently to enable it to be taken up by the quicksilver or other amalgam used. Further, to provide lodgment places for it, so that it can be readily saved. To this end, I provide the gold saving chamber.

When the material, which word in this connection also includes water, enters the chamber and is agitated by the rod r of the machine, it comes in contact plough shapedfaces of the block r; forms of which are designed to turn said material over. As the same goes down to the next row of block riilies it gains headwa is again turned over, and coming in contact with the concave backs of the preceding row of block rii'i'les eddies are. harmed which serve to further agitate said material, the same continuing tl'iroughout the length of the chamber. The angular riilles iiorm under currents, and the action of the water and material passingthrough and over them, also contribute to the treatment of the ma terial, in agitating it, making the gold rcceptive to theaction of amalgam, by washing it, and in affording lodgment places a it. As noted, the first series of an riiiies communicates with the second so any gold not retained by the first can work its way down around the termiwith the nals or" said rifiles into the second seri s the action of the water all the t-inie taking cm the gold its oily characteristics and putting placer mining, is estimated to be fully 50' per cent of the gold contained therein. In fact, the saving of this class of gold, is the one feature which will make the workip/g of many placer propositions profitable. uch of this gold is invisible to the naked eye, and the crevices in the block rifiies, approximating in width the thickness of a sheet of paper, and amalgamated, are particularly adapted to retain this gold so necessary to a profitable working of much placer ground.

To make a clean up, the chamber is demounted and each block rifile separated. into its four parts, when the amalgam can be removed from said parts, and the four plates, and the gold saved in a manner well known to those acquainted with the art.

It requires but a superficial knowledge of placer mining to use this device, so with gold bearing material to work with, I contemplate that any one able to place the material in the riddle, apply the water and rock the box, can malre good wages, or more, from digging which formerly could not be worked with profit.

Changes and modifications of the construction described may be made without departing from the spirit of my invention, or sacrificing its advantages, hence I ask that I be not confined to the specific structure set forth.

I claim:

1. In a device of the class described having a rocker box, a riddle, and a discharge opening for tailings, a gold saving chamber communicating with the riddle and said opening, having a bottom member carrying a series of riflles disposed in angular relation, adapted todischarge into another series of rifiles disposed in reversed angular relation, a top member of similar construction, a pair of side members having a plurality of ril'lies disposed in angular'relation, ex-

struction, a pair of side membersv having block, also curving upwardly and gradually merging on either side to a point adjacent the upper front corners of the block, and curving downwardly and gradually merging on either side to a point adjacent the lower front corners thereof, the back of said block concave inform, and a narrow gold saving recess extending block. V

at. In a device of the class described, a block riflle, having a plurality of superimposed parts, each provided on its upper periphery, and around the edge thereof, with a recessed portion defining in connection with the part located immediately above, a gold saving crevice extending around each part. v I

5. In a gold saving machine having a rocker box and a riddle, a demountable gold saving chamber, provided with riflles on its top, bottom andsides, and interposed there between, a plurality of vertically extending members having narrow gold saving recesses, and means for detachably securing said chamber in the rocker box.

HENRY S. BACK.

around an edge of each 

